Belkin ExpressCard N User Manual page 34

7O0321_WN7712A-LF-AK_P75454-B_F5D8073 v3000_N wrs nc_mnl.doc
Page 34 of 58
The following section, intended for the home, home-office, and small-office user,
presents a few different ways to maximize the security of your wireless network.
At the time of publication, four encryption methods are available:
Encryption Methods:
Name 64-Bit Wired
Equivalent
Privacy
Acronym 64-bit WEP
Security Good
Features Static keys
Encryption
keys based
on RC4
algorithm
(typically 40-
bit keys)
(insert chart from P74488-A, p.16)
WEP
WEP is a common protocol that adds security to all Wi-Fi-compliant wireless
products. WEP gives wireless networks the equivalent level of privacy protection
as a comparable wired network.
64-Bit WEP
64-bit WEP was first introduced with 64-bit encryption, which includes a key
length of 40 bits plus 24 additional bits of system-generated data (64 bits total).
Some hardware manufacturers refer to 64-bit as 40-bit encryption. Shortly after
the technology was introduced, researchers found that 64-bit encryption was too
easy to decode.
128-Bit Encryption
128-Bit Wired Wi-Fi Protected
Equivalent Access-TKIP
Privacy
128-bit WEP WPA-TKIP/AES
(or just WPA)
Better Best
Static keys Dynamic key
encryption and
mutual
authentication
More secure TKIP (Temporal
than 64-bit Key Integrity
WEP using a Protocol) added
key length of so that keys are
104 bits plus rotated and
24 additional encryption is
bits of system- strengthened
generated data
Wi-Fi Protected
Access 2
WPA2-AES (or
just WPA2)
Best
Dynamic key
encryption and
mutual
authentication
AES (Advanced
Encryption
Standard) does
not cause any
throughput loss